#like example off the top of my head-

[tea-cat-arts]

Shen Yuan getting transported into pidw isn't "the system punishing him for being a lazy internet hater," but instead representative of "step 1 of the creative process: getting so mad at something you decide to go write your own fucking book" in this essay I will

[hballegro]

they're leaving room for jesus via the width of a single communion wafer

[alleycatchitchat]

did anyone else notice how physically protective shadow was in this episode

[sevenines]

i saw this tweet and found it interesting for two reasons. one is that some people base how good cartoon network would be to toh by how it treated su, and despite the fact that su’s treatment by the network was considered poor at the time, now its thought to be exceptionally good in comparison to modern shows.

two is how exactly su got impacted by a limited budget. a common criticism is how characters like connie, peridot, and lapis are left out of missions. but balancing a lot of characters is not only hard but also costly (extra animation, extra voices—it’s been revealed that the show is limited to a set number of characters per episode otherwise they’re over budget). animation mistakes are not uncommon since retakes cost extra. the entire reason the original show got cut short was due to loss of funding!

[foundfamilywhump]

the brief and instinctive touch when a whumpee wakes up following being unresponsive or revives after resuscitation - the moment when the person there who cares about them is just so relieved that they’re alive, that they’re responding, that they just can’t help clasp them in a tight hug, or cup their cheek, or kiss their head. that nonverbal you’re still here, i got you, thank fuck you’re alive.

[whattraintracks]

I'm thinking about siblings and sons and legacies again. Raph's "ugh, I sound like Leo" and Mikey's "my father taught me better than that" and Splinter's oft-repeated "he who lives without honor, ends without honor." I'm thinking about how Raph sounds like Leo and Donny and Mikey who sound like Master Splinter who sounds like Hamato Yoshi, and this legacy of what it means to have honor/be honorable/act honorably. Not as a teaching of ninjutsu but of the Hamato Clan. I'm thinking about how this family's legacy is one of teaching its sons about honor.

[thermodynamic-comedian]

alloace friend i introduced to malevolent who, like many of us, likes to project his sexuality onto his fav fictional characters: hm i see arthur lester as asexual homoromantic

me, an aroallo who has been slowly dying over the lack of representation for years: CAN WE HAVE THIS ONE PLEASE.

(not a dig at the friend btw he had no way of knowing that arobi arthur is personal to me and also he can hc whatever he wants. i just thought it was funny)

PLLEEEAASEEE CAN WE HAVE THIS ONE PLEAAASEEEEE

no but like. aroallo arthur has solid canon evidence. the remark about how he didn't "love" his wife, merely "liked" her. the sheer and persistent lack of romance in the actual story, as compared to the incredibly sexual things arthur sometimes says. the lovequeerness of it all.

aromantic bisexual arthur lester will forever and always be real to me

[sonknuxadow]

[lollytea]

Romance is so fun. Love writing romance. But Christ alive, the universe that some love stories take place in sound like a hell dimension to me. A universe where all characters are defined by their romantic endeavours and nothing else. All your closest friends are like unblinking dolls who are unreasonably obsessed with who you're kissing and don't want to talk to you about anything else. Allonormativity suffocation chamber.

[splatoon-confession-box]

I would honest to god take a small update with like 3 or 4 new weapons if the rest of the update was just new maps and massive reworks to previous maps.

[lunabug2004]

I think it's funny that I've seen some defense regarding Mike's queer coding literally being that "he's not interested in any girls except El" bc that's just simply not how that works (in most cases).

Like I know people joke about their sexuality changing for one person, usually a celebrity, or someone else who's unattainable, but it's rarely ever the actual case. And I also know that it's a TV show so it doesn't necessarily have to be realistic but it's still interesting to think about.

I say this because we have literally no evidence to support Mike being into girls, at all. When talking to Dustin abt Suzie, comparing her to Phoebe Cates, he's has a disgusted-esc look on his face. He has no posters of girls (at least none where they are the focus) on his wall, but he does have posters of buff (fantasy) men. I also wanna mention the 'one way' sign pointing into the closet bc it's honestly iconic. They make a point of Robin commenting on Nancy's Tom Cruise poster, so we know that it's not crazy to be paying attention to these things.

All this to say that most characters in the show have moments of being attracted to people even while in a relationship (given sometimes it's just them talking about celebs or characters but still, I'm pretty sure the only time Mike's done that was w/ Cates and I already discussed that). The defense of Mike "only being attracted to El" is so unrealistic and would be really weird writing.

[shitpostingkats]

I love how Revolver has like, zero regard for any human life.

[joeyclaire]

the way i’ve literally watched multiple trans people of color i consider good friends get harassed out of fandom spaces but when you suggest fandom might have a transphobia or racism problem everyone plugs their ears

[seilon]

please don’t by k.will did more for the gays back in 2012 than any boy group can possibly do with fan service and crop tops in 2024

[ckret2]

So yeah, about the ask you had unclear what I was refering: yes I meant what kind of personalities is bill attracted to.

Had to wait a couple days to answer this until I had time to dig up and review the original post about what he's attracted to; and honestly, I think it already covers almost everything. Take out the physical traits and you get:

Weirdos. Being weird, in and of itself, is attractive to him. Gotta be a high quantity of weirdness though.

"Brooding artist" types (his description). Mostly if they make art of him, but even that aside he likes people who view the world around them like an artist. Brooding optional but "thinking deeply & romantically about the world" mandatory.

People who have fun by Bill's definition of "fun": party hard and live to tell the tale. Reckless eagerness to jump headlong into danger a plus.

Similarity to him. This might mean a similar history but it could mean similar personalities. Bill's personality is shaped by his history, so why wouldn't someone else's be.

Extravagance with material possessions. That might mean their love language is gift-giving, or it might mean they go broke spending everything they have on luxury and thrilling experiences. Live loudly, enthusiastically, generously, and with little heed for future consequences.

Nerds, provided they have something else going for them besides just being nerdy. More broadly: intellectual curiosity and a functioning brain.

I think that one's worth elaborating on, since it gets into Bill's psychology. Bill's a trillion years old; knows more about practically anything than practically anybody; has seen whole worlds rise and fall, along with all their civilizations, cultures, discoveries, inventions, and people, over and over again; and by now, he passes vast swathes of eternity by partying/dissociating for longer than the human species has even existed. Even though he never really quite grew up, he's still old and tired and bored.

But there's still wonder out in the multiverse—wonder in things he's seen billions of times, wonder in things that are just slightly different from the other billion he's already seen, wonder in looking at something he's seen before in a brand new way. He knows it's there, he's just gotten too depressed and lazy to go looking for it.

Merely knowing stuff doesn't impress him—he can "know stuff" in circles around any mortal and most immortals—but excitement and enthusiasm for knowing stuff gets him to wake up a little to the world around him, which is something he sorely needs.

But again: they've gotta have other things going for them. If he runs into a nerd who's just nerdy and doesn't otherwise bring anything else to the table that Bill's into, he's just like "ugh what's this geek droning on about this time, go away."

And these other traits off the original list aren't quite things he's "attracted" to, but that makes him more likely to pursue someone anyway:

If somebody's an emotional doormat who'll do anything he says and let him take the lead in all matters, he's more likely to date them. And also, exploit them, use them, abuse them, and leave them. He's not actually attracted to doormats, though—it's kind of a turn-off, really, he finds people with a spine more interesting—but people with a spine are more likely to stand up for themselves, which makes it harder for Bill to get away with all the shit he wants to pull; so ultimately he's more likely to pursue somebody he likes less but can control more.

I don't think he's really "attracted" to people who worship him—the more of a zealous follower someone is, the less likely they are to be an interesting person all by themself, really. But like. It's an insane turn on. Biggest turn on. Call him your god and his brain shuts off and he gets a little light headed as all his whatever-he-has-instead-of-blood immediately rushes to his wherever-the-hell-blood-gets-redirected-to-in-his-species. When he's that into being worshiped, I think the fact that he isn't technically into the person doing the worshiping is kind of a moot point. So he's not exactly attracted to people with a tendency toward obsessive devotion; but he's had a disproportionate number of partners who have that personality trait, since that makes them more likely to be obsessively devoted to him.

All of the above is off of the original "stuff he's attracted to" list. I can't think of many personality traits he's drawn to that aren't already covered. Extroversion, optimism, maybe similar "screw the laws of physics" political opinions, maybe a tendency to re-sculpt the truth in the same way he does... Yeah, that's all I got, I already hit most of the points in the initial ask.

I realize these are "personality traits he's attracted to" instead of "personalities he's attracted to," but a personality is just a soup made up of various traits. I'm not gonna go like "oh yeah he's attracted to ESTJs" or something. Grab multiple of the above traits and slap them on the same person and that's appealing to him.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Okay hear me out hear me out hear me out

Sonic who's litho and Tails who's demi

(Sort of headcanons/thoughts/au musing under the cut)

ㅤ

Tails coming to terms with his desires regarding his best friend, wishing to hold and to be held, to kiss and to be kiss, to take care of and to be taken care of, to share as many domestic moments as one can, to take a shared adventure for the fun of it, to be intimate in a way only lovers could be, right?

And that's where the subtle horror lies in the slow realization of feelings.

To want to be like someone and to admire them is one thing. To want to be someone's friend is one thing. To want to stick with one person you like is one thing.

But to love and desire someone in that way is another.

Tails has kept watch over Sonic's relationships. He's known him long enough to spot trends in how Sonic acts. The rules, so to speak

Sonic always makes the first move. When others express interest in him (depending on the nature of the interest or how obsessive) he preens at the praise at best, treating this person like a fan, and runs away or his expression betrays his uncomfortableness/disgust at worse. This means Sonic has to be interested in you first.

Whether he even realizes the attraction himself or not, Sonic tends to start a bit strong, but this is because of his usual target (people who are able to match or challenge him in a fight). Even if the other person seems uninterested, he has no problem flirting and teasing a bit during altercations

Sonic's romantic relationships never last longer than a year at best

As one can see, the rules are a bit stacked against him to start (at least, from Tails' pov). He's Sonic's best friend and, while they do fight sometimes, that kind of role is hardly comparable to a rival or an archenemy. Sonic gets a specific look in his eyes when engaged in an interesting battle, banter rolls off his tongue like honey. He never gets like this towards Tails. There's no situation (whether during a shared battle or in his lab or when they're just hanging out together) where Sonic looks at him with that level of interest (at least, from Tails' pov).

Of course, Tails wouldn't want to be Sonic's rival anyways (best friend is the kind of role younger him had always coveted), but it doesn't mean he can't be a little jealous...

And of course Tails knows Sonic cares about him, appreciates him. That's never really been in question either.

It's just, in the end, even if his wildest dreams came true—if he confessed his feelings, Sonic reciprocated, they started dating and it didn't ruin their best frienship—how would it then pan out? In the end, whether Sonic would return his feelings is the least of his worries!

Because Tails has seen what happens.

One of Sonic’s rivals, for example. Before they got together, Sonic enjoyed teasing and flirting with them casually. And at the beginning of their relationship, they would race each other often (perhaps more often than they had before). It was their favorite form of date—to have a "friendly" competition, followed up by sunsets and dinner on the go. Really, they almost couldn't get enough of it. But then...things shifted. Sonic didn't enjoy racing them quite as much anymore. That passionate interest began to palpably fade, and the two began to disagree. Eventually, Sonic’s presence was more of a casual one. Tails could see that he enjoyed going out to eat with his ex and hanging out with them in general, but while that was all fine and good, his ex hadn't lost that passion. So with every poke and prodding and proposition for a race, Tails could see his ex become resentful in that Sonic didn't want to be this way with them as much as they used to. Eventually every "I don't feel like it" from Sonic turned into a fight ("when do you ever feel like it?" his ex would follow up with). In the end, Sonic’s ex is still fixated on him. While they wouldn't admit it, they want Sonic’s attention back. Even without being romantic partners, they still cling to rivalhood, challenging Sonic and showing off whenever they can. But Sonic... He doesn't take it so well. Someone who was once a rival and partner to him is now an annoyance—just another person too obsessed with him. They're still fixated on Sonic, but Tails knows Sonic would be happy if they gave it up. That relationship can never be the same again.

Sonic even had a childhood friend once—his very first relationship like that. Not that they're not friends anymore, but things are different now. There was a time where Sonic traded banter with this person often, those who knew them would remark how they fought like a married couple, and they saw the looks they'd shoot each other when the other wasn't looking. It only seemed natural to onlookers that these two would get together, and yet...it took some time. Sonic would be jealous when others pursued that person, and yet, for a while, whenever they pursued him or it seemed the perfect moment to confess, he'd run. For a long while when anyone (even Tails) would ask why he wasn't dating anyone, he would just answer that he didn't want to be tied down. But he eventually gave in, decided he had no choice but to confess his feelings, and (as everyone knew would happen) these feelings were reciprocated. In fact, a number of people even though the two had been dating for years before that. But...things didn't stay all sunshine and rainbows for long. The relationship ended with a (literal) slap in the face for his best friend. The two's interests and futures had grown apart, and even love couldn't change Sonic's nature. In the end of it, he still wanted to be a free spirit, a magnet for danger, a hero to the masses. Just like with that rival of his, though the relationship was seemingly passionate at first, Sonic couldn't sustain those feelings. Sonic's partner wanted someone for life, wanted him to choose their projected future, wanted to keep him out of such great danger. The fact that Sonic seemed to be losing those kind of feelings and interest he'd had when their relationship began was perhaps one of the final straws. And although Sonic and this ex partner are still friends these days, have mended their friendship, their relationship has never been the same again. Even Tails can see that they're friends, but they no longer share that banter, Sonic no longer concerns himself over that person's love life (he's more supportive than anything), and they don't spend quite so much time around each other anymore.

So this is what it comes down to. Even if Sonic does love him back in that way, even if Sonic wants to be with him too, even if he agrees to enter that kind of relationship with him, what use is there in hoping he (Tails) would be an exception to the rules?

What if things are amazing at first, and then over time Sonic begins to lose interest in him? What if those feelings disappear? What if getting together with Sonic ruins their best friendship because all interest has faded away?

What if Tails confesses only to end up as an ex who is a casual friend at best or an annoyance at worst (because Tails knows getting over Sonic would be near impossible)? Then it would be all his (Tails') fault, wouldn't it?

And that's exactly why he figures it's best to leave things as is. As long as he can stay best friends with him, as long as he can still be by Sonic's side through thick and thin, as long as they can still care for each other and be for each other as they are now, that's enough isn't it? In the end, Tails would choose a future where he's still at Sonic's side over having his feelings requited.

ㅤ

As for Sonic, it does, admittedly, take a while for him to sort of realize those feelings of his. This is partially due to him being dense, but also because he's grown so used to Tails' presence. He's just used to the fact that Tails is always around, always able to be contacted, that the days are largely similar. It just never really occurred to him for a while that Tails could (or would) leave him for any reason.

But after enough times being separated from him completely, then dealing with enough minor jealousy as Tails expresses possible interest in others, it sort of just hits him one day while the two are hanging out (probably playing video games and eating chili dogs or something, or perhaps even while watching a sunset) that he wants to do this forever. He wants to continue this life where he can pull Tails along on adventures and crash at his place and relax with him and bust badniks with him and everything.

Long ago, back when he'd first met Tails, there was this bit of nagging fear in him. Even as he eventually would come to regard Tails as his best friend, for the longest time there was this nagging fear that Tails' admiration and wish to stick to his side would become...something else, and that Sonic would have to confront it one day, potentially risking their relationship.

It's almost weird now thinking that he truly wouldn't oppose the idea of Tails confessing to him (if Tails does indeed feel the same, but Sonic doesn't know for sure). Perhaps it wouldn't be bad (even if cheesy) to live out a fantasy of the first kiss, where Tails confesses and Sonic tenderly steals it...

But pretty soon a new kind of horror sets in—a new "what if".

Because, you see, though he can still count the number of exes on his fingers, Sonic has never had a relationship like that last more than a year. Things always start out great! All Sonic wants to do is be around this person as much as he can be, and that person shares the sentiment. But then as Sonic finally settles in, tension eventually follows. That person becomes increasingly more frustrated in him, and Sonic himself comes to realize that he no longer wants to spend every waking moment with them. He's busy, he has things he wants to do (sometimes alone), other people he wants to hang out with. He doesn't mean to leave this person in the dust, he's just not quite as interested in them as he used to be. And apparently that's a problem

Sonic has never cheated, not once. Maybe he can be a bit of an ass sometimes, but messing around with other people while he has a partner is not his thing. But...this doesn't matter either. Eventually the accusations come—that he doesn’t love them anymore (not true), that he isn't as interested in them anymore (something he can't really refute once he starts to think about it), that he's probably looking at other people (not true).

So inevitably, Sonic can no longer take the tension and facilitates the breakup, or this person breaks up with him (an event that's never better than bittersweet)

In short, that obsession that attraction that attachment—it all begins to fade eventually, no matter how close he is with that person. He often doesn't want to just break up with them (again, just because those feeling start to fade doesn't mean he doesn't love them or cares about them less), but it's an inevitability. People logically want to be with someone who loves them just as much as they do in the same way that they do, and Sonic just...can't seem to live up to that.

If he and Tails started a romantic and/or sexual relationship, could he even place hope in the fact that Tails would be the exception? He knows in his soul that even if these feelings of his began to change or his interest in this way began to fade, he'd never just stop loving or caring about Tails altogether. Best friend or partner in romance, Sonic knows he'd still want him at his side.

But with his track record, who could guarantee that Tails wouldn't grow resentful of him too as things began to change (compared to the very start of that kind of relationship)? And would he really be able to blame Tails? After all, most people want someone who will be just as interested in them as they are in the same way that they are. If Sonic can't always promise that, then isn't it doomed from the start as it always is?

Not that he's never had thoughts such as these before, but in his last relationships (since those people seemed to be cut from similar cloths as him personality wise) he'd been willing to take the risk in hope things would be different. But he doesn't want to lose Tails—can't. What would be the point of solidifying a relationship like that with Tails if he lost his best friend in the process? At that point, it would be all his (Sonic's) fault, since he knew this would probably happen.

So this is why Sonic decides it's best to leave things as they are. As long as he can still crash at Tails' place, come to him for strategical or technological advice, take him along on adventures, bust badniks with him, play video games with him, be his best friend and have him by his side, isn't that better? Isn't that enough? In the end, Sonic would rather take the future as it comes (deal with the possibility of Tails leaving him one day) and get to have him by his side now than have his feelings requited.

ㅤ

But I'd like to imagine that, one day, the two can't ignore the whatever it is going on between them. The moment is scary, and admitting those feelings doesn't bring as much relief to either of them as it should. They're both apprehensive about starting that kind of relationship for their own reasons. Should they really "get together" simply because the feelings are mutual?

And so starts this weird gray period of the nature of their relationship. They're still best friends for sure, but neither has decided they want to be in a declared state of "dating". If anything, at first it seems like the two have gone right back to trying to exist like normal (business as usual), hang out like they always do, treat each other like they always did before. The only difference in this case is that the feelings are requited now.

But things begin to shift and change during this gray period no matter how hard they try. The two end up sharing their first kisses, every interaction carries a bit of a different weight than before. If it's even possible, more than before people mistake them for a couple, especially their friends (who can't really understand why they're not, even if they try to be supportive for the most part).

And yet, while feelings, their actions, etc seem to make everything undeniable (as if they're dating all but officially in name), Sonic can feel it come on. He can see the signs, recognize that those once undeniable feelings of attraction (romantic or otherwise) is beginning to fade away, meaning that it's only a matter of time.

Meaning that the last thing they should do is "get together" now, because Sonic can't promise Tails those feelings that were so strong before.

And Tails realizes it too. It actually scares him a bit at first, already seeing the signs. He can't help but fear that it's inevitable—that Sonic will lose all interest in him and grow apart from him. It makes him feel like an idiot. Even if back then there was no way to keep those feelings between them wrapped up and hidden, he feels like an idiot for confessing at all—like he should have found some other path. This whole thing, it makes him want to cling to Sonic even more, though he fears making this all worse by being too clingy...

But, fear aside, things do turn out okay.

I'd like to think that one day they wake up in Tails bed together, Sonic brushes Tails' bangs aside, gazing at the fox's expression before he opens his eyes, and feels that though his feelings have undeniably changed, it's just that. Though those kinds of feelings began to fade away, his love did not. More than ever, even though he doesn't love Tails in the same way he did a while ago, or even before he came to feel for him romantically, he cares for him so so deeply. He still wants Tails to be with him going forward.

And yes Tails sees it—the way Sonic has grown more casual, doesn't seek out kisses as much, isn't quite as clingy as he used to be—but his fear begins to let up as well. While he will perhaps keep that nagging fear of Sonic leaving him forever, even Tails comes to see that Sonic has no intention of breaking their friendship. Where Tails once was afraid they'd naturally grow apart and bitter as Sonic's feelings faded and Tails would be clingy by comparison, he sees that Sonic's feelings haven't really faded—not truly. They've only just changed.

Things are undeniably different from before, but Sonic seems to want to be with him still. He still wants him by his side as much as he can have him. Though he's more casual in his expression of feelings, Sonic is still interested in what Tails has to say, he still enjoys making him happy. In fact, somehow, Tails almost suspects Sonic has begun to love him more than before despite the shift in their relationship and in Sonic's feelings.

They were both so afraid things would naturally end in failure, but they cared for each other, and they accepted each other as they were.

Maybe the two decide to officially become partners one day ("partners" in a way that elevates their existing partnership to a status which coveys that they want to live out their lives at each other side, no other types of feelings or actions or life choices inherently implied), perhaps because Sonic (despite not having those large feelings of romance anymore) still doesn't want Tails to choose anyone else but him

And maybe the two don't! Even if they don't label themselves as dating or in any type of partnership society and others recognize as "inherently stronger" than best friendship, they're still best friends and partners. They're still going to spend their lives together, happily doing the things they always do as long as the universe allows it. No matter who comes and goes into their lives, their bond is a constant presence.

In the end, it no longer matters whether Tails has romantic/sexual feelings and Sonic doesn’t, or whether they give themselves conventional labels or not, or whether other people can grasp their chosen relationship or not, or whether it's a "glorified best friendship", or anything else. All that matters is that despite the nature of any feelings involved, they choose to be together.